May 22, 2018; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A general view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Red Sox Discussed Unlikely All-Star After Willson Contreras

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Dec 23, 2025 8:02 AM ET

The Boston Red Sox already have been aggressive -- and a bit surprising -- in the trade market.

That is, of course, because Boston has gotten done two separate deals that move the needle with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Red Sox traded Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke to the Cardinals for Gray before the winter meetings and followed up by trading a package headlined by Hunter Dobbins to St. Louis this week for Willson Contreras.

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It's not often you see two teams come together on two separate deals of this size in the same offseason and there have been reports pointing towards conversations for another one. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Monday night that the Red Sox and Cardinals have spoken about a trade that would send All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan to Boston, but he noted that nothing is close right now.

The Red Sox already linked to another All-Star

"St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, who already has traded right-hander Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox, might not be done dealing with his former club," Rosenthal wrote on Monday. "The Cardinals and Red Sox also have discussed a trade that would send infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to Boston, according to people briefed on the conversations. Donovan likely would play second base for the Red Sox, who have also been linked to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte.

"No deal is close, but Donovan almost certainly would bring a greater return than Gray or Contreras, whom the Cardinals acquired for five minor-league pitchers while including a combined $28 million in the deals. No word yet on whether Bloom is prepared to send the Gateway Arch to Boston in an even bigger blockbuster."

This is interesting, but doesn't appear to be a sign of something to come, at least right now. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said himself that the team can only dig into the farm system so much while referencing the fact that Boston has been active in the trade market and not free agency, as transcribed by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe on Bluesky.

"There's only so much you can dig into your system in trades," Speier wrote. "Free agency is part of the equation here."

Before the Contreras trade, there already were rumors about Boston and Donovan. At this point, a deal does not seem likely. Things could change, but still unlikely.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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